It’s a new career high for Yovani Gallardo…

The 26-year-old Mexican baseball star, a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, struck out a career-high 14 in seven innings to help lead his team to a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

“It’s really like win or go home every game,” said Gallardo. “We all know the nine games we have here, the next series with the [St. Louis] Cardinals, then the [Cincinnati] Reds. They’re very important.”

Gallardo (8-6) gave up four hits, including Andrew McCutchen‘s homer in the fourth.

He struck out two in every inning except the sixth when he fanned just one and the side in the seventh.

“Command was probably the best I’ve had all year,” he said. “That really helped.”

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle felt that the team took itself out of the game against Gallardo.

“We got in a bad rut here, swinging the bat as far as striking out,” Hurdle said. “Gallardo was very good today. We were susceptible to a lot of things he was doing. He had a very sharp breaking ball.”

Gallardo won consecutive starts for the second time this season.